Photo credit: Nigel Kinrade Photography

Tyler Reddick hits NASCAR break on a hot streak


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The first 22 races of the Cup Series season are complete as teams head into the well-deserved two-week break. This is a break Tyler Reddick is ready for after closing out this portion of the season on a heater.

The 23XI Racing driver finished second behind Kyle Larson in last weekend's Brickyard 400. This was his fifth consecutive top-10 finish and his eighth top-10 in the last nine races, which kept him third in the Cup standings and only 15 points behind Larson.

The finish was not straightforward, however, as Reddick overcame an extra pit stop in the final stage to tighten a loose wheel on the No. 45 Toyota. This is an issue that would have derailed Reddick and his team in years past, much like it did at Michigan last season, but that was not the case at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"I mean, I thought today was a great recovery," Reddick said after the race. "I think that's the biggest thing that we've been doing really good right now.

"We haven't had always had the smoothest days. Instead of letting them end our days, we found ways to recover from them feels like the last couple of months. Great effort by the guys, men, and women at 23XI. We'll go into our little break ready to relax for a little bit and recharge, get ready to go for the rest of the year."

Maintaining this consistency will be crucial for Reddick and 23XI Racing considering that there are several points at stake.

Reddick has eight playoff points. He earned five by winning at Talladega Superspeedway. He added three more playoff points through stage wins. For comparison, Larson has 28 playoff points while Christopher Bell has 24.

If Reddick can overtake Chase Elliott and Larson to win the regular-season championship, he will lock up 15 bonus playoff points. If not, he could still earn eight bonus playoff points by ending the regular season third in the Cup standings.

The final four races of the regular season take place at Richmond Raceway, Michigan International Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, and Darlington Raceway.

Reddick has two top-five finishes in 10 starts at Daytona, three top-five finishes in 10 starts at Darlington, one top-10 finish in eight starts at Richmond, and no top-10 finishes in five starts at Michigan.

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